GLOBAL RUM AMBASSADOR TO STAGE THE WORLD’S LARGEST RUM TASTING
AS PRECURSOR TO EIGHTH ANNUAL RUMFEST

Very limited spaces available to the Guiness World Record attempt
and tickets available now on a first come first serve basis

Thursday 9th October 2014,
London’s ILEC, Earl’s Court
Tickets at £10, now on sale from rumfest.co.uk

For the first time in history, RumFest invites guests to become part of a record breaking attempt to host the world’s largest rum tasting, with hundreds of rum enthusiasts coming together to sample six esteemed rums from across the globe.

Representing Jamaica, Appleton’s Rum will be sipped and savoured with commentary from revered Master Blender, Joy Spence, whilst the Spanish style of rum, Don Q will be sipped and savoured with a yet to be announced speaker. For a historical twist Pusser’s Navy Rum will be presented by George Freegard and Peter Thornton. Angostura will bring a taste of Trinidad to the evening hosted by Master Distiller John Georges and the delights of Cuban’s classic Havana Club will be a part of the World Record Attempt with one final rum to be announced in the coming weeks.

Doors will open at 5pm where guests will be greeted with a welcome speech from Global Rum Ambassador and RumFest founder Ian Burrell, followed by an introduction to the rules and regulations of the Guinness World Records. From 6.30pm the world record attempt will begin as guests taste the six rums from some of the world’s most revered rum distilleries followed by an audience Q&A and the presentation of the Guinness World Records certificate.

Global Rum Ambassador and RumFest Founder Ian Burrell comments, “The possibility of hosting the World’s Largest Rum Tasting is incredibly exciting and we cannot wait to share the experience with so many rum lovers and it will be the perfect way to kick off what will be four days of superb rum celebrations. Rum is a spirit loved by many and to have the chance to taste six esteemed rums hosted by their top master blenders, ambassadors and distillers is an honour and a privilege. I cannot wait to share it with you all!”

The RumFest takes place in London at the ILEC on Friday 10th for press and trade and Saturday 11th to Sunday 12th October 2014 for trade and consumers. Standard tickets are now on sale at 49.95 for Saturday and Sunday, which include access to all areas of the the event and single measure tastings from the majority of exhibitors. The brand new Golden Tot Tokens are 5 each and allow for additional access to the more premium rums on offer. One token can be exchanged for rum retailing 80 – 100 and more expensive rums will be available for additional tokens. For full information please visit the RumFest website.

Three-day Ron Montero Festival launches on tropical coast of Granada, Spain.

Purveyors of premium rum celebrate rum culture with interactive tours, mixology classes, live music, parties and more at the Ron Montero Festival held on the 6th, 7th & 8th June 2014 in Motril, Granada

Launched by Ron Montero, Europe’s last remaining rum distillery and taking place in the Andalusian city of Motril, Ron Montero Festival is the ultimate experience for rum lovers.

Ron Montero has carefully curated a series of interactive Food and Cocktail Trails for festival-goers to explore the local cuisine. Using the official Ron Montero Festival App, rum lovers will be able to win points on a virtual passport as they embark on Tapas, Night or Sweet routes through the city and stop off at local foodie hotspots as well as amateur mixology workshops. The more points amassed the more chance of winning prizes.

Celebrating every aspect of the spirit, the Ron Montero festival will provide revellers with performances by The Monderos who tell tales of the rum harvests, live music around the city, an exhibition of giant 50th anniversary Ron Montero bottles, painting contests and cinema screenings as well as rum-inspired poetry and literature.

The sub-tropical climate has for centuries provided the perfect conditions for growing sugar cane and the festival will offer guests a voyage of discovery as Motril opens the doors to its rich rum lineage. Afiacionados will see the rum-making process first hand and even taste the sugarcane as they are taken on guided tours that roam through the Pre-Industrial Sugar Cane Museum, La Zafra sugarcane farm, Motril History Museum, the Interpretation Centre of Sugar Cane and of course the famous Ron Montero Distillery.

The Ron Montero Festival was launched by Ron Montero, a legendary authority on premium rum who last year celebrated their 50th anniversary and entered the UK market through Amathus Drinks. The distillery was founded in 1963 by Francisco Montero and as the only European rum distillery open to the public, Ron Montero is dedicated to educating and celebrating the rich rum heritage of the Tropical Coast of Granada and supporting tourism in the region.

Tickets start at €10 and are available at www.ticketea.com/festivalronmonterodemotril.

The menus from the Food and Cocktail Trail are €25 and the Tapas are €9. A variety of accommodation is available throughout the city for various budgets. For example, a standard room at the Hotel Salobreña is less than €50 per night.

Further information, including the Festival Programme can be found on the Ron Montero Festival Page

The International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), is widely generally acknowledged as one of the most prestigious and independent contests of its type in the world, with its rigorous judging: the tastings last seven months with over 300 judges from 30 countries.

This year’s winners were announced at last night’s awards ceremony held at The Guildhall in London and most noteably for us rum drinkers is that Demerara Distillers won both the American & Caribbean Spirits Producer award and The Rum Trophy for their excellent 8 Year Old El Dorado Rum.

Add this to a couple of extra Gold Outstanding awards for their sumptuous El Dorado 12 Year Old and the already highly decorated El Dorado 15 Year Old rums, along with a Gold award for the El Dorado 21 Year and an Outstanding Silver award for their El Dorado 5 Year Old and I think  it’s fair to say that Demerara Distillers are deservedly,  having another great year.

Full details on these awards and all the other awards in the Rum category can be found on the IWSC website.

GLOBAL RUM AMBASSADOR IAN BURRELL LAUNCHES THE INAUGURAL THE RUM EXPERIENCE UNIVERSITY
ANDALUSIA, SPAIN

A DIPLOMA COURSE OFFERING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND RUM ENTHUSIASTS
AN EXTENSIVE AND IMMERSIVE STUDY OF RUM
16th-20th September 2013
www.rum-uni.com

Opening its doors this September for the first time, The Rum Experience University is designed for anyone looking to expand their core knowledge of the world of rum, whether they are bartenders, rum brand ambassadors, journalists, industry specialists or simply keen rum enthusiasts. The intensive five day course will cover everything rum related, taking guests through production methods, the history of rum, rum blending, distilling and cocktail making like never before. Offering a well rounded package, the university will also look at public speaking and how to prepare and execute a rum presentation, not to mention exclusive talks with leading worldwide industry experts. Speakers include Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, Master Distiller and ambassador of all rums, Richard Seale from Four Square Distillery in Barbados, World Tiki Authorative Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, food scientist Bernard Lahouse, cocktail historians and authors Anastasia Miller and Jared Brown, International Rum Ambassador David Cordoba, NLP Master Practitioner Don Smith. More exciting names to come.

The Rum Experience University course will be an immersive and intense experience. Taking place at the Best Western Hotel in Salobrena, guests will be treated to panoramic views of the Mediterranean sea, overlooking golden beaches within the stunning Spanish weather. This sub-tropical climate has provided for centuries the perfect conditions for growing sugar cane and daily excursions will take guests to various locations to explore the culture, history and making of rum. Afternoon trips will include journeys to local sugar cane fields, the Pre-Industrial Sugar Cane Museum, which was built on the ruins of an ancient sugar cane factory and features Europe’s oldest sugar mill and a myriad of exhibitions and there will also be a visit to the famous Rum Montero Distillery. The distillery was founded in 1963 by Francisco Montero and as the only European rum distillery open to the public, students will get to see first hand how rum is made.

Founder Ian Burrell is the Global Rum Ambassador and Founder of UK RumFest and The Rum Experience. As the leading name in rum, Ian has used his in-depth knowledge and passion for the rum category to raise awareness of rum by educating and promoting rum culture throughout the world. Ian’s vision is to create a stand alone qualification that has the experience at the heart of the programme:”There has never ever been an official course to become a spirits ambassador, let alone a rum ambassador. Too many brand ambassadors are thrown in the deep end and expected to promote categories and brands based on a PowerPoint presentation but without ever having visited the distillery or maturation warehouses where their products are made. We are seeking to empower our students with knowledge, and the tools to use that knowledge”.

Limited places on The Rum Experience University are now available from £899 providing a comprehensive course of study and an industry recognised Rum diploma. Each place is inclusive of Bed, breakfast, lunch and dinner at The Rum University Hotel, 5 days of expert masterclasses & seminars, 5 afternoon rum excursions, Rum Experience University book, Rum diploma – merit or distinction. Flights and transfer to hotel are not included. For more information and how to purchase tickets visit The Rum Experience University website.